Device for sterilizing and renovating beehives, etc.



March 22, 1932. Q c, GALL 1,850,100

DEVICE FOFS STERILIZING AND RENOVATING BEEHIVES, ETC

Oswafli C Hall INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. s 22 19 132 a UNITED. srr -E oswnrn c.- GALL,

or: "rtunon, omo

DEVICE, ron's'rnnirrzma AND rtnnova'rrne Bananas mo.

jA pncanon filed Decemberm, 1928.-"Seria1 No, a25,oo9.-

This invention relatesto improvements in devlces for sterilizing and renovating bee hives and the like.

v The primary obj ectof this invention is the provision of improved apparatus. by. means of which a bee hive may be thoroughly sterilized by the removal of the} honey and wax therefrom, f without the. loss of either the honey or therwax; and which will beiespecially useful in connection with the steriliz-V ing ofhives in which foul broodiis present.

A further object ofthis invention is the provision of an appliance for. use by those engaged in bee culture, which, maybe, efii cientlyand expeditiously used for sterilizing hives, containers and like appar-atuspertainingto bee culture; aswellas the filtering and reclamation'of cappings oryanyother wax or; honey, without waste and loss. 7 t Other objects and advantages of this inventionwill beapparent duringthe course of the following detailed description. 7 1

In the accompanying drawings-forming a part of this specification, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the severalviews,

Figure '1 is a front elevatlon, partly insection,-showing the improved sterilizmgappa I ratus in-position for sterili'zing'a bee vhive.

Y 101' section D1 is provided, adapted to support honeyvor,:-waxis ceptaclei I Figure 2 is a cross sectional: view taken through the details of the apparatus,substan} V tially on the line 2.+2-0f Figure- 1. I I V In the drawings, wherein for the purp oseio f illustrationv is shown only anpreferred 'embodiment of the invention, the letter A may generally designate the improved apparatus,

which preferably consistsof a tankv or container, B adapted :to; contain 1 water and be supported uponsome heating element C, such as a stove, fortthe' purpose of generating steam. A preferably detachable top frame a bee hive E, or other apparatus vtoibe sterilized ;v and also to support filtering and straining U means 'F' from .which' impurities are,

strained in-order that honey,;-wax Qand the like to be reclaimed may fall upon} Io a guide G, in the-nature ofga funnel, -fromwhence'the guided into a suitable re- The tank; or container; Bais preferably of sheet metal, either galvanized iron, tin, cop per, or the like. It preferably includes a bottom 10,-1side walls 11 and12, and end walls:

13 and 14, which define a compartment 15 adapted to receiveabody of water 16 to be heated. [At oneend the-tank B, preferably on the wall'18, may be provided a water gauge glass 17 ofany approved construction, and on said wall may also be provided a filler spout '20of any approved construction;

22 extending horizontally through the tank 7 and exteriorlythru aside wall 11 of the tank, and having a .downturned spout 24l adapted to convey the contents receivedin the funnel G'into the exterior receptacleI-I. V

The funnel G at its upper peripheral margins abuts against the inner surfaces of, the sides and end walls; beingfprovided with upturned flanges 28, forsuch purpose, shown in the drawings. A sloping' defiector fiange'29 is provided peripherally about the upper margin of the funnel G, overhanginglthe marginal po rtio'ns of the funnel in spaced relation, entirely about the container 13; the,

deflector flange 29 being sloped inwardlylin a downwardly convergent ,relation." The margins of the funnelGi about thewalls of theftanlni below the deflector flange 29,, are 7 provided with: openings "30 through which live steam passes from the tankBibelowithe funnel upwardly beneaththe deflect0r29 and thence centrally towards the tank and up-ewardly through thefilter' means F, for :melti;

ing and dislodgin ties,cfrom the hive container. ,1 With respectto ghoney, wax, and impuriw the frame D, the same a prises; a pair of preferably square or, rectangular box frames 35 and'36, 'WhiChIaIeSeI-Q.

CTI

r n or cold water. The live steam is'percured as by riveting or nailing at 37. They are secured in axial offset relation, with the inner frame 36 abutting internally with the walls of the frame 35, so as to provide a reduced extension 40 on the lower marginal portion of the frame 36, which is adapted to snugly fit into the upperjpart of the tank 13 above the deflector flange 29 of the funnel device G. By offsetting the frames .35 and 36, a socket 42 is provided in the upper frame 35 above the top margin of the inner frame 36, in order to receive the lower part of a hive E in a resting relation upon the upper edges of the frame 36. V i f o A screen 45 is attached to the lower edges or marginof the frame section D, which may be of any approved mesh, and a preferably fabric filter 47 is adaptedto be disposed in a'bag-likerelation over the screen 45 and along the inside Walls of the frames 35 and 86, with the marginal edgesthereof extend ing out of the frame section D, so thatthe hive E may rest in the frame-section D, and hold-the fabric filter 47 in abag-like-po'sition for straining and filtering the contents of the hive as they are melted or rendered less viscid.

The operation of the invention will be apparent from the foregoing. In diseased hives, which it is desiredto sterilize, the entire hive with open bottom, is-placed in the upper socketend 42 of the detachable filter section D, and the steam from the tank will pass upwardly thru-= the openings 30 and into the hive,*sterilizing the same; -melting the wax and honey, and-permittingthe same toflow into the filter compartment from whence it flows downwardly intothe funnel G; beingprevented from entering the-steam inlet openings 80, because ofthebafile flanges 29; the-honeyand wax passing thru the conduit 22. Of course, the top or upper section D is made to fit astandard hive. The cover is prefe'rablyonthe hive, and the honey commences to flow. first from the hive, {and is caught in the receptacle H. After a proper length'of time, the steam will melt the wax, but by this time the honey has entirely drained'into the receptacle H, and thewax is then run into a large receptacle about half mitted'tocirculate in the hive from one to two hours, and. the i hive container, is then permitted to dry in the sun or open air, to

eliminate any danger of .foulbrood remain-- ing. The improved device may beused to clean any hive in which the comb is .old,

'sagg'ed, or where the cells are too small. The

saving. in cost of new frames and wiring is considerable, since heretofore diseased hiveswere destroyed, and in addition the honey 'is thoroughly sterilized and can be'ifed back to the bees without danger of foul brood For this reason theswarm, which has been admitted to a new hive, will be as far ahead as before the sterilization.

Various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be made to the form of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope .of the claims.

I claim: I

1. In apparatus for sterilizing bee hives and the like the combination of a tank adapted to receiv'ea liquid, means at the upper portion of thetank forsupporting an opened bottombee hivewiththe open bottom spaced from the facing bottom of the tank, means below the first mentioned means for directing steam into thehive, and means in the tank above the normal level of liquid therein and below the open bottom of the hive for receiving and guiding melted honey and wax direct from the hive asthe steam plays into thelatter.

-2.'In apparatus of the class described the combination of a tank adapted to receive a body of water for generating steam, means on thetop of the tank for supporting a bee hive with anopen bottom facing the tank, means between the bee hive and above the nor-mallevel of liquidin the tank for deflecting and guiding materials falling from the hive to a location-remote from the water in the tank, means "between the last mentioned means and the hive for filtering and straining melted and other materials falling from above the funnelshaped receiver for supporting objects to be sterilized,the funnel shaped receiver having perforations therein about vthe upper margins thereof to permit steam to pass from the compartment in the tank from belowthe receiver to above the receiver. 4. .In apparatus of the class described the combination of a tank, aifunnel shaped receiver in the tank having a conduit connection extending fromthe lower end of the funnel shaped receiver to a location exteriorly of the tank the funnel shapedreceiver being supported in the tank to provide a compartment in the tanktherebelow for receiving water tobe--heated,means on the tank above the funnel shaped receiver for supporting objeots to be sterilized, the funnel shaped receiver having 1 perforations l therein about the upper margin's-thereofto permit steam to pass from the 'compartment'in thetank belowthe recelver to i above the're'ceiver, and

means above the perforation for-deflecting i materials to the receiver laterally of and below said perforations.

5. In apparatus of the class described a tank adapted to receive abody of water to. be heated for generating steam, a detachable frame support on the top of the tank having means to support a hive thereon with its open bottom facing the tank, and means below I the hive and above the normal level of water.

therein for receiving ,materials dropping from the hive incident to the admission of steam therein from the tank, said means be-x ing formed to permit steam to pass thereby into the hive. r r

6. In apparatusof the class described a tank adapted to receive a body of water to be 7 heated for generating steam, a detachable frame support on the top of the tank having means to support a hive thereon with its-1 open bottom facing the tank, means below the hive-and above the normal level of water therein for receiving ymaterials. dropping from the hive incidentqto' the admission of steam therein from the tank, said means consisting of a filtering strainer, and a funnel p a shaped conveyor below the filtering strainer placed and formed to permit steam to pass upwardly thereby-into" the hive. OSWALD C. GALL, 

